Developing advanced technologies for healthcare and human-machine interfaces requires multifunctional tools that can naturally integrate with the human body. The existing systems, as exemplified by a variety of medical electronics and interventional tools, provide critical capabilities for physiological investigation and therapies. However, their rigid, static and bulky formats limit their possibility of naturally interfacing with the biological tissues that are soft, dynamic and three-dimensional. This presentation will focus on our efforts on bio-inspired soft materials and devices that could transition various tools into bio-integrated embodiments. We impart biomimetic concepts to the engineering of nanocomposite materials that replicate the physical functions of soft tissues. Multiscale fabrication techniques generate reconfigurable 3D structures, allowing for integration of advanced electronic components and biomaterials into organ-compliant formats. As exemplified by artificial cartilage, kirigami optics, and cardiac electronic membranes, our efforts cover a continuous spectrum of materials science and device engineering. The integrative approaches seek to enable fully functional systems for implantable biomedical tools, tissue engineering platforms, wearable electronics, and many other applications.

Biography:

Dr. Lizhi Xu is currently a postdoctoral research fellow in Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Michigan. He received his Ph.D. degree in Materials Science and Engineering in 2014 at University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. His research interests involve soft electronics, biomimetic materials, micro-/nanofabrication and other enabling technologies for biomedical applications. He has published 15 peer-reviewed papers with total citations of over 2500.